Serving tray



Oct. 31, 1939.. w v JOHNSON 2,178,172

SERVING TRAY Filed June 4, 1958 (When 4 f Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE William V. Johnson, Washington, D. C.

Application June 4, 1938, Serial No. 211,888

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a serving tray, and it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind with means whereby the tray may be suitably supported so that the waiter may readily load the tray or serve from the tray without the necessity of placing said ray upon a table or other independent support.

Another object of the invention is to provide a. serving tray provided at opposite end portions with supporting legs which normally maintain a folded position close against the bottom of the tray, together with means for maintaining said supporting legs in extended position.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved serving tray whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better 5 understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure l is a view in top plan of a serving tray constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention with the supporting legs extended;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, the folded position of the supporting legs being indicated by broken lines;

Figure 3 is a view in end elevation of a leg structure as herein comprised.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawing, T denotes a serving tray of a desired style and dimensions and riveted, as at I, or otherwise rigidly secured to each end portion of said tray T at the transverse center thereof is an underlying portion of an elongated flat arm 2. This arm 2 is of a length to extend a desired distance beyond the adjacent end of the tray T. Riveted, as at 3, or otherwise fixedly secured to the outer end portion of the arm 2 is the leaf 4 of a spring hinge 5. This hinge 5 is of a conventional type and the second hinge 6 thereof is riveted, asat 1, or otherwise rigidly attached to a cross bar 8 connecting the upper portions of a pair of spaced supporting legs 9. These legs 9 are of desired length and have applied to their outer or free end portions the pads E9 of rubber or other suitable material to prevent marring of the surface upon which said legs may rest when extended. These legs 9 are preferably tubular and having their upper end portions connected by the cross bar ll integral therewith.

The tension of each of the spring hinges 5 is 5 such to constantly urge the associated pair of supporting legs 9 toward and in close contact with the bottom of the tray T as indicated by broken lines in Figure 2. The cross bar II which is outwardly of or beyond the hinge 5 provides an efiecl0 tive hand grasp whereby the waiter or other person may readily swing a pair of legs 9 into extended or working position. When a pair of legs 9 is in desired extended or working position, an intermediate portion of the cross bar H engages 5 within a downwardly facing recess l2 provided in an elongated latch arm or bar [4. This latch arm has its inner end portion pivotally connected to the arm 2 inwardly of the hinge 5 by a conventional spring hinge l5. This spring hinge l5 op- 20 erates toconstantly urge the bar or arm M toward the arm 2 thus assuring such latch arm maintaining effective engagement with the cross bar ll. Upon lifting the arm M free of the associated cross bar II the hinge 5 will cause the 25 associated supporting legs 9 to swing upwardly toward the bottom of the tray T. The maintenance of the legs 9 in this folded position will be further maintained by the contact of the outer end portion of the arm [4 with the cross bar H 30 as indicated by broken lines in Figure 2.

It is to be stated that the legs 9 at one end of the tray are spaced apart a distance greater than the legs 9 at the opposite end of the tray so that when both sets of legs are in their retracted or 35 folded position there will be no hinderance or obstruction offered by one set of legs to the other.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a serving tray constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well 40 adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles 45 and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In combination with a tray, oppositely dis-v posed arms carried by and extending from the tray, supporting members, spring hinges connecting said supporting members to the arms, said 55 spring hinges serving to normally maintain the supporting members folded beneath the tray, latch arms, and spring hinges connecting the latch arms to the first named arms, said latch arms engaging the supporting members to hold said supporting members extended, the spring hinges for the latch arms maintaining said latch arms in efiective engagement with the supporting members, said latch arms under the action of 1 the spring hinges also serving as additional means for holding the supporting members in their folded position.

2. In combination with a tray, oppositely disposed arms carried thereby and extending from the tray, supporting members in the form of an inverted U including side legs and an upper cross member, a cross bar connecting the upper portions of the legs of the supporting members at a point spaced below the cross member, spring hinges connecting the cross bars of the supporting members and the arms, said spring hinges serving to normally maintain the supporting members folded beneath the tray, and latch arms carried by the first named arms to engage the cross members to hold the supporting members extended.

WILLIAM V. JOHNSON. 

